Process of treating beeswax



June 9, 1931 w. s, BAYLls PROCESS OF TREATING BEESWAX Filed May ll, 1926 dumZuDZOU Vr lllilJ/ ww w m MN WM.

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Patented June 9, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE WALTER S. BAYLIS, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY1MES'NE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO FILTROL COMPANY OF CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA POCESS OF TZR-EATING BEESWAX Application led May 11, 1926. .Serial No. 108,269.

My invention' relates to bleachin processes and particularly to a process of leach.- ing and purifying beeswax. Beeswax in its natural conditie-n is of brownish color and contains a certain amount of impurities. In

this natural condition it is not of much commercial value, but when this beeswax is bleached to a white color and the impurities are removed it is very useful in many arts.

It is an object of this invention to provide a process of bleaching beeswax, which process is very effective in thoroughly bleaching the beeswax to a white color.

Another object of the invention is to provide a process of bleaching beeswax which is economical and expeditious.

I have discovered that a better product is obtained if the process is carried on under a vacuum. It is accordingly one of the objects of this invention to provide a process of bleaching beeswax which is carried on under a vacuum.

Other objects and 4advantagesof the invention will be made manifest hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing in which I illustrate an apparatus for conductingmy invention,

Numeral `ldenotes aheater, l2 denotes a washer, 3 denotes a primary mixer, 4 denotes a conveying pump, 5 denotes a primary bleaching tank, 6 denotes a .primary pressure pump, 7 denotes a primary filter press, 8 denotes a secondary mixer, 9 denotes a secondary bleaching` tank, 10 denotes a secondarypressure pump, 11 denotes a secondary filter press, 12 denotes a storage tank, 13 denotes a liquid trap, 14 denotes a condenser, and 15 denotes a vacuum pump. y

The heater 1 has a shell 20 which is fitted with a steam coil 21. The shell 2O has a conical bottom 24 which is drained by a pipe 25 having a valve 26.

The washer 2 consistsof a shell 30 which provides a washing chamber 31 and which is surrounded by a heating jacket 32. The washing chamber `31 is closed by a tight cover 33. Adapted to rotate in the chamber 31 are agitating paddles 35. A tightly covered opening 36 is provided in the cover 33 50 for lthe introduction of beeswax into the chamber 31 for treatment. The pipe 25 passes through ythe cover 33 and connects withvthe chamber 31. The shell 30 has a conical floor 38 which is drained by a pipe 39 which terminates its lower end in a fitting having valves 40 and 41 at its opposite ends. A pipe 42 leading from the valve 41 empties into the open upper end of a shell 45 which forms a mixing chamber 46 in the primary mixer 3. Agitating-paddles 47 are provided in the -chamber 46 and are adapted to be rotated therein. A valved hopper 48 opens downwardly over the upper open end of the shell 45. The shell 45 has a conical bottom 50 having a drain pipe 51 which is provided with a valve 52 and connects with the intake end of the conveying pump 4.

The primary bleaching tank 5 has a shell 55 which forms a bleaching chamber 56 and has a steam jacket 57 for heating the contents ofV this chamber. Agitating paddles 58 are located in the bleaching chamber 56 and are adapted Yto be rotated therein. The Ytop of the shell is providedwith a tight cover 60 which has a tightly covered opening 61 provided therein. A pipe 62 connects the exhaust end offthe conveying pump 4 to an opening in the cover so as to communicate with the chamber 56.' The shell 55 has a conical bottom 65 which has a drain pipe 66 which has a valve 67 and which connects' to .the intake end of the primary pressure pump 6. The exhaust end of the pump '6 is connected by a pipe 70 to a shell 72 of the primary filter press 7. The shell 72 provides a filter chamber 73 in which are disposed filter plates 74 which are connected through the shell 72 by pipes 75 to a header 76. The header 76 has'a valve 78 which connects with a' pipe 79 which empties into the open upper end of the secondary mixer 8. The secondary mixer 8 has a shell 81 which provides a mixing chamber 82 in which agitating pad-- dles 83are disposed, these being adapted to be rotated. A valved hopper 85 empties-into the upper end of the shell 81. The shell 81 has a conical floor 86 which is providedl with y Aa drain pipe 87 which has a valve 89,

The secondary bleaching tank 9 has a shell l10' upper end of the shell 90. The drain pipev 87 is fitted tightly into an opening inthe cover 96 so as to connect with the chamber 92. A .tightly covered opening 98 is provlde'd in the cover 96 for a purpose which will be described later. The shell 90 has a conical bottom 100 which is provided Awith a drain pipe 101 having a -valve 102 and which connects to the intake end of the secondary pressure pump- 10. A pipe 105 connects the exhaust end of the secondary pressure pipe 10 to a shell 106 of the secondary filter press 11. The secondary lter press 11 is identical with the primary filter press 7 and filtrate is conducted therefrom through a header 107 which has a valve 108. A pipe 109 leads from the valve 108 and empties into the storage tank 12. The storage tank 12 is provided with a heating coil 112 for a purpose whichwill be described later. An outlet pipe 113 which has a valve 114 is provided in the lower end of the storage tank 12.

The condenser `14 is diagrammatically.

shown as a condenser of standard construction having a tight shell 120 in which upper and lower secondary heads connected by tubes as indicated by dotted lines are provided. The shell 120 has a conical bottom 122 which is provided with a drain pipe 123 having a valve 124. 'Connecting with the condenser shell 120 at a point just below the lower of these secondary heads is a vacuum pipe 125 of the vacuum pump 1 5. A pipe 126 connects the upper end of the condenser 14l with the Lwater trap 13. Leading from the watertrap 13 is a vacuum line 127 which has a branch line 128 provided -with a valve` 129 l and which passes through an opening in the y tank cover toA connect with the primary bleaching chamber 56 of the primary bleacher 5. .The vacuum line 127 also has a branch line 130 which has a valve 131 and which conmunicate with the secondary bleaching chamf ber 92. The .vacuum line 127 has another f branch line 135 which has al valve 136 and as follows:

which connects with the upper end of the' 55 storage tank 12. When the vacuum pump 15 is set in operation, a vacuum is imposed upon the condenser 14 and, through the pipe 126, the water trap 13, thevacuum line 127 and its branches 128, 130 and 135, upon the ri-` tusare closed. The beeswax in its natural form is introduced into the washer 2 through the opening 36. The vacuum pump 15 may at y ing Huid is introduced into the mixing chamber 31 through the pipe 25. This treating lluid preferably consists of a solution of sulphuric acid and water, which ingredients are supplied to the heaterv 1 through the pipes 22 and 23 respectively.l From experience I` have found that a very satisfactory treating flows through the pipe 25 into the mixingv chamber 31. Suiicient treating fluid should be added to the beeswax to provide approximately 2 per cent by weight of 66 per cent sulphuricacid as compared to the weight of beeswax 'being treate The temperature of this mixture isthen gradually raised to about 214 F., at which .temperature it is held for about five minutes.

During this period off high temperature the mixture of treating fluid and beeswax is slowly' agitated, and the treating iuidtakes a part of the color constituents and impurities from the beeswax. The lagitation is then stopped and the mixture` is allowed to settle. The treating fluid is heavier than the wax and will occupy the extreme lower part of the mixing chamber 31 when settling takes place. Due to the fact that the treating fluid has vab- .sorbed considerable of the impurities of the wax, the stratum of beeswax above the stratum of treating fluid will be much lighter in color than the wax when first placed in the chamber 31. The valve 40 is now opened f' and the lower stratum 140 in the chamber 31, composed --of treating fluid and sludge, is drawn olf.

When the upper stratum 141 in the chamber 31 which is composed of melted beeswax begins to 1iow from the valve 40, this valve is closed and the valve 41 is opened. The melted beeswax then ows fromthe charnber A31 throughzthe pipe 42 into the primary mixer 3. The-'paddles 47 are set in operation and as the mixing chamber 46 fills with melted beeswax, a decolorizing mineral is fed sol 75 When the beeswax has been melted, a treatpercentage of 20 per cent of decolorizing minera-l by weight. As soon as the decolorizing mineral is thoroughly mixed with the melted beeswax, the valve 52 is opened and the conveying pump 4 set in'motion to transfer the mixture of beeswax and mineral to the primary bleaching chamber 56. The mixer 3 may be of sufficient size to mix a whole batch at oncel or els'ethe transfer of beeswax and mineral to the primary bleaching tank 5 may be commenced before all of the wax has flowed from the washer 2. It is not'necessary that a complete mixing of wax and mineral take place in the mixer 3, this element of the apparatus merely being used to prevent excessive foaming of the mixture in the primary bleaching tank 5. lBefore the mixture is delivered to the chamber 56, the valve 129 is opened and avacuum is thus placed in the chamber 56. I have found that no foam will form in the chamber ifthe mixture is introducedwhen there is a vacuum.

In the chamber 56 the mixture of decolorizing mineral and beeswax is then thoroughly agitated by setting the agitating paddles 58 linto operation. During this agitation a heating medium, such as steam, is supplied to the heating jacket 57, and the temperature of the mixing chamber 56 is raised to about 300o F. During this rise in temperature and this agitation, the decolorizing mineral is brought into intimate contact with the beeswax and practically all of the impurities and color constituents are absorbed or adsorbed therefrom. After this agitation has taken place for a sufficient period for the reaction to be completed, the valve 67 in the pipe 66 is opened, and theV primary pressure pump 6 1s set into operation in order to force lthe mixture of beeswax and decolorizing 'mineral into the primary filter press 7 The mixture from the bleaching chamber 56 is forced into the filter chamber 73 provided by the shell 72. The beeswax which, of course, is in the form of a liquid will pass through the filter plates 74, the pipes 7 5 and into lthe Yheader 76. The decolorizing material, however, is too coarse to pass through the filter plates and will collect thereon in the form of cakes asA beeswax in the same manner. as a similar mix-A ture was made in the primary mixer 3. As

this mixing proceeds, the valve 89 is opened to allow the mixture to pass by gravity into the mixing chamber 92 of the secondary bleaching tank 9. The valve 131 has been previously opened so there is a vacuum in the chamber 92 when the mixture enters; therefore, therewill be no foam. The paddles 93 are set into operation in order to thoroughly mix the beeswax and the decolorizing mineral, and the heating jacket 94 is suppliedwith a heating medium in order to raise the temperature of the mixing chamber 92 to a temperature of about 300o F. The action which takes place in the 4mixing chamber 92 is substantially the same as the action which has taken place in the mixing chamber 56. y

The beeswax whenit has reached the .secondary bleaching tank is very nearly bleached and contains but a very small percentage of impurities. The treatment in the secondary bleaching tank will thoroughly remove any of the impurities or color elements which remain,these being absorbed or adsorbed by the fresh decolorizing mineral. After a certain period of time has elapsed, the valve 102 is opened and the pump 10 is put into operation, thus pumping` the mixture from ythe mixing chamber 92 to the secondary filter press 11 where the beeswax is filtered from the decolorizing mineral` The action in the secondary filter press is identical with the action which takes place "within the primary filter press 7. The valve A108 is opened and the beeswax is passed through the pipe 109 to the storage tank 12, ready to be cooled. The

lbeeswax is kept at a temperature sufficient tov In conducting the process I find it economical to use a spent decolorizing mineral in the primary bleaching tank 5. that is to say, the decolorizing mineral which has been collected in the secondary filterV press 11 is not "discarded but is used in the primary bleaching tank 5. This isveconomical due to the fact that the decolorizing material obtained from the secondary filter press 11 still has considerable power of adsorption. I find that the product is better whenthe process is conducted under vacuum. This is probably due to the fact that lany breaking down of molecules is prevented by reason of an absence of air in the different apparatus.

` It should be understood that the drawing shows the apparatus very diagrammatically, and may lhave additions as `desired. For instance, it may be advantageous to have heating means for the filter .presses and mixers v 3 and 8 to eliminate a possibility of solidification of the beeswax. The apparatus shown,

lhowever', is essentially adequate for carrying out the novel process of -my invention.

Some light waxes may be treated sulicienti l by an acid wash and one Contact with z t e bleaching agent, as in the primary bleaching tank 5, so that they may be run directly to storage upon leaving the primary filter press 7. The double bleaching contact is shown for the purpose of illustrating the process followed in treating the darkest form of beeswax it will be necessary to handle.

y It should be understood also, that the. primary and secondary mixers 3 and 8 are a helpful but not an essential step in the procless of this invention. In/ case these mixers were dispensed with, the bleaching agent would be placed in the bleachingtanks 5 and 9 through -the openings 61 and 98, and thewax wouldbe introduced into the bleaching tanks gradually to keep down the foaming which has a tendency to accompany the mixing of the beeswax with the bleaching agent.

I claim as'myinvention." 1. A process of bleaching beeswax comprising: melting the beeswax; agitating said beeswax with dilute sulphurie acid; settling out said dilute acid; treating under vacuum said liquefied beeswaxwith a decolorizing agent comprising an acid-activated colloidal clay at a temperature approximating 300 degrees F.; and separating said decolorizing agent from said beeswax at a temperature approximating 300 degrees F. 2. A process of bleaching beeswax comprising: heating the beeswax sufficiently to cause 1t to melt; heating a dilute sulphuric acid solution to approximately the same temperature vas said beeswax; mixing said beeswax and said treating fluid; raising the temperature of the beeswax and treating Huid to about 214 F.; settling said -treating fluid from said beeswax; removing said beeswax; mixing said beeswax with a decolorizing agent comprising an acid-activated colloidal clay at a temperature approximating 300 deees F. and filtering said decolorizing agent rom said beeswax, said decolorizing steps being performed under vacuum.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set I I my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 6th f day of May, 1926.

WALTER s.- lBarri-s. 

